Adjustable accessory time switch



Oct. 6; 1931.

R. R. GONSETT ADJUSTABLE ACCESSORY TIME SWITCH Filed Feb. 1, 1928 2 shegts-sheet 1 NiFTEE Sin: K0.

EOBEETBGoM s g r Hrroezvsy Oct. 6, 1931. R. R. GONSETT ADJUSTABLE ACCESSORY TIME SWITCH 1, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 215 ,63

Filed Feb.

BGON-SETT Grroeusy Patented Oct. 6, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OF FlC E ROBERT R. GONSET'I"; OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA; ASSIGNOR OF ONESI-XTEENTE TO VI TO 3-56 AIQGELES, CALIFORNIA -Cw'IL' V. ULLOM, ONE SIXTEENTH TO" WESLEY D. SPENCER, ONE-SIXTEENTH WARD A. BURRELL, AND ONE-SIXTEENIII' TO BUCK WALKER, ALL. 01 L03 ADJUS BABLE ACCESSORY TIME SWITGH Application filed-February 1, 1928;. Serial. No. 251,111.

easily inserted in an ordinary alarm clock,

affording a switch control which is accurate in adjustmentmeat in appearance, andfwhich.

may be rcadil adapted to. either a domestic or commercial use; my invention being particularly valuable for suc ClOmBStiC p p as the control of electric washingmachines, coliee percolators,.etc., aswellv as in: the eontrol of electric signs;

A further object of my invention is topro- 1 vide a type of time switch in which. llmay use a novel form of electrical connection similar to that shown in my copending application, Serial No. llxifii-l hfiled September 21,1926,

by means of which the same may be conven ntly attached in any electrical con,-

nection as commonly used. both. for domestic and advertising purposes.

Other objects and advantages of my 1nv.en-

ticn, including a mechanism which may beincorporated in an. ordinary alarmclock, by means of which'it may be set to ring, at two separate and distinct periods, will be better understood from the following description of the accompanying drawings, illustrating:

an embodiment of my invention, and in which 1 is a diagrammatic view-illustrating one embodiment and use of my invention,

Fig. 2 is a. plan view with parts-removed, showing clock assembly embodying features oi my invention,

Fig. 3 is an elevational view in the direction of arrow 3 in Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a partial sectional view along the line i t of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is a partial sectional view along the line 55 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 6 is a partial section along the line 6-6 of Fig. 2,

Figs. 7 and 7c are elevational views showing. a. switch assembly use d in; connection. with an embodiment o'f'my invention,

Figs. 8,. 8c and 8b are elevational views. showing the relation of parts in. the control mechanism. of my invention in av set, a..'

switch. closing, and a switch opening position, respectively- Fig- 9 is a partial. sectional view. illustrat; ing a type or" electrical connectionemployed] in my invention.

More particularly describing my inyen: tion as hereinillustrated, 11, indicates aclock switch, connected by means, ofan. electrical. conducting member 12-, with a socket-plug connection 18 the connect-ion 13. being shown. as mounted ,etween a wall socket 14 (con. nected, with an electrical circuit 1.5.-16) and? a plug; 17,, the plug, in turn, being shown. as. connected through an auxiliary conductor 18. with an electrically controlled device, such. as the sign 1.9, but may be any electrical commercial or domestic device, such as: an elec tric heater, percolator, etc.

The clock 11, which. is illustrated; with. partsremoved in Fig.2, may be ofthe midi-- nary alarm clock? type, having, alt-alarm winding key 20,,mounted upon an alarmiops crating shaft 21, the shaft bein provided with a driving spring 22, and with a control gear 23.. The gear 231s in mesh with: apin ion2-fl which is integral. with a. ratchet. shaft 25, having a ratchet 26 mounted. thereon. The. ratchet 26'is engageable by adual pawl 27 which is. rigidly mounted, on an oscillat ing control shaft 28; the sl1aft,28,, in. turn, carries an outwardly extending arm. 29, the purpose of which will be hereinafter explained. It will be obvious fromFig. 2, to all persons familiar. with this, type of clock construction,which is common, and to which. I make no claim, that the rotation. of the shaft 21, which I may term the switch or alarm operating shaft, is governed by the pawl and ratchet 27 and 26 respectively,and that as long as the arm 29' is permitted to oscillate freely, the shaft 21 wil'l'be rotated by the spring 22, unless otherwise prevented by external means.

The electrical switch, which I employ in my invention, and which is operated bythe shaft 21, is generally indicated at 30, and

recess 32 formed therein, plate members 3333 mounted on either side of the insulating member 31 and extending across the opening recess Oppositely mounted on the insulating member 31, and extending over the recess 32, I provide electrical conducting plates 3434, each of which is adapted to receive a conductor such as the wires 3585 respectively, which comprise the conducting member indicated at 12. Pivotally mounted between the plates 3333, provide a switch arm 36 which internally receives a resiliently controlled switch member 37. This switch mechanism comprises a pair of conducting members 38, 38 separated by an insulating member 38, which, in

turn, is mounted upon the end of a swingable cylinder 4:0. The swingable member 40 is surrounded by a spiral spring 41, retained thereon by the washer 42, and adapted to hold the member a0 in place and to effect the positive movement from a non-contacting or 1 off position, as illustrated in Fig. 7, to a contacting or on position, as illustrated in Fig. Ta. For the purpose of initiating the operation of the arm 36, I provide the switch operating shaft 21 with a segmental plate 39, rigidly mounted thereon and having a groove 89 formed therein. Slidably mounted in the groove 39 I provide a switch actuating rod 39", which extends to and is pivotally mounted in an outer end 43 of the switch arm 36.

For the purpose of controlling the operation of the switch or alarm operating shaft 21 at any desired predetermined time, I provide the clock with a new and novel mechanism which I may term a switch governing mechanism generally indicated at 50. This mechanism comprises a setting shaft 51 which extends through a sleeve 52 in the back plate 53 of the clock, the extending end thereof being provided with a manual adjusting member 54, which is retained against rotation upon the shaft 51 by means of the set screw 54. The forward end of the control shaft 51 is provided with time indicating means comprising an indicating hand 56 which cooperates with the auxiliary dial 57 (Fig. 1) for the setting of the switch governing means.

Fotatably mounted upon the shaft 51, I provide what I may term a control sleeve 55, upon the forward end of which is mounted a gear 58. The gear 58 is connected through a train of gears 59 with the clock mechanism (not shown), the ratio of the gears being such that the sleeve is carried through one revolution during a twelve hour period of the clock. Rearwardly and integrally mounted upon the sleeve 55, I provide what I may term a primary cam collar comprising a rear cam 60 provided with a cam notch .61, and forwardly mounted upon the gear comprises an insulating member 31 having a!58 I provide a secondary or front cam collar 62 provided with a cam notch 63, the collars being rigidly interconnected one with the other and the notches 61 and 63 being in alignment, and bearing a definite fixed relation with the time indicating hand and dial 56 and 57. The numeral 64 indicates a rearward or primary engagement member comprising a sleeve 65 provided with an outwardly extending projection 66 which is adapted to rest upon the rear cam collar 60 and to be received by the notch 61. The engagement member or sleeve 65 is further provided with an annularly grooved flan e 68 adapted to receive a spring friction bra e member 69, the brake member 69 being held in a fixed position through engagement with a hook 70 formed upon a laterally fixed arm 71. The arm 71 is slidably mounted upon the control shaft sleeve 55 and is held against rotation through engagement with the pawl supporting shaft 28 in a notch 72 formed in the arm 71, shown in Fig. 5. It will be understood that the mentioned primary engagement sleeve 65 is rotatable about the control sleeve 55 but is held against rotation therewith by means of the friction brake 69. In order that the rearward or primary engagement member 65 may be set in any desired angular position relative to the control shaft and sleeve, I provide the setting shaft 51 with a primary setting collar 75 which is held in rigid relation to the shaft 51 by means of a key 76, and is provided with a forwardly extending finger 77 adapted to engage the projection 66 on the engagement member 64. The engagement member 64 and attending parts are held in a positive engaging relation to the cam collar 60 by means of a resilient spring finger 78, which is mounted upon one of the clock frame supporting shafts 79, receives the control sleeve 55 in a longitudinal aperture 80 (as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5) and extends therebeyond in a projecting finger 81 which has a forwardly extending hook 82 formed thereon, the hook being adapted to engage a corresponding hook 83 formed on the extending end of the oscillating arm 29, when the projection 66 rides upon the forward face 84 of the primary cam collar 60, as is best illustrated in Fig. 8. It will be understood from Figs. 8 and 80: that when the projection 66 drops into the cam notch 61, the projecting finger 81 correspondingly drops, permitting the oscillation of the arm 29 until such oscillation and the resultant rotation of shaft 21 is otherwise checked, as will hereinafter be ex plained.

Numeral 90 indicates what I term a secondary engagement member which is rigidly mounted upon the forward end of the setting shaft 51, and is provided with a projection 91 adapted to rest upon the forward face 92 of der 93. The finger 94 is shown as being mounted upon the frame supporting shaft 79 above a frame plate 96, and'the extending end 97 thereof is provided with a rearwardly extending hook 98 which is adapted to engage the hook 83 formed on the oscillating arm 29, as shown in Fig. 8a. It will be understood that when the cam notch 63 is rotated to a position opposite the projection 91 that the forward thrust of the resilient finger 94 carries the sleeve and attending parts to the position shown in Fig. 8b, and is incidentally disengaged from the hook 83, permittin the movement of the oscillating arm 29 and the attending secondary rotation of the switch operating shaft 21 until such rotation is otherwise checked by the binding action between the rod '39 and the shaft 21, as shown in the dotted line position in Fig. 7.

In order that the switch operating shaft 21 may be permitted to have a limited switching rotation between the disengagementof the primary finger 81 and the engagement of the secondary finger 97 with the oscillating arm 29 (as illustrated in Figs. 8 and 8a) I provide what I may term a secondary finger supporting plate 100, the form of which is substantially a circular segment, as is best shown in Figs. 3 and 4. This plate 100 is fixed to the switch operating shaft 21, and is so formed that the forward edge 101 (relative to the switching rotation of the shaft 21) of the front face 102 of the plate 100 is in engagement with the rearwardly projecting hook 98 of the secondary finger 97 when the switch is in a set position, as is best illustrated in Figs. 3 and 8. It will therefore be understood that when the primary finger 81 drops to the position shown in Fig. 8a that the plate 100 must be rotated by the shaft 21, to the dotted line position C shown in 3, before the hook 97 on finger 94 may be permitted to drop to the position shown in Fig. 8a.

It will further be understood that the angular segment of the plate 100 is made of such dimensions to permitthe rotation of the operating shaft 21 to the position shown in Fig.7a, at which point the circuit is closed. The limitation of the secondary movement of the shaft 21 is controlled by the arm 39 and the groove 38, as shown in the dotted line or .ofi position illustrated in Fig. 7.

The type of socket-plug connection which I propose to use in my invention, in order that the switch may be conveniently used as a domestic accessory, a form of which is shown in my copending application Serial No. 136,834, filed September 21, 1926, is illustrated in section in *ig. 9, and comprises a socket 110 adapted to receive a plug 111, and provided with connecting prongs 112-112 which are adapted to be received in any of the the standard forms of wall sockets, etc, as indicated in dotted lines at 113. The socket 110 comprises a shell conductor 114 and a central stem conductor 115, the shell conduc tor being directly connected with prong 112, and the central conductor 115 being connected with prong 112 through a separate circuit comprising wires 35 and 35' which comprise the conducting member 12 and extend to and are connected with the conducting plates 34, 34 (Fig. 2) of the time switch 30, through which the circuit is completed.

It will be understood that, in the operation of my invention, the indicating hand is first turned in a counterclockwise direction by the adjusting member 54, to the hour at which it is desired for the switch to be turned on, (or the alarm to initially ring) such as position a, Fig. 1, and is then rotated in a clockwise direction to the hour at which the switch is to be turned off, (or at which the alarm is to finally ring) such as position b, Fig. 1, the respective primary and secondary engagement members 64 and 90 assuming positions somewhat as illustrated in Fig. 8. The switch 30 is then set as shown in the full line position in Fig. 7. I As was described above in connection with the switch governing mechanism 50, the primary movement of the switch is effected when the control sleeve 55 is rotated to the position relative to the primary engagement member 64, where the projection 66 is opposite the cam notch 61, as shown in Fig. 8a, and the rotation of the switch operating shaft 21 is permitted, turning the switch to the contacting position shown in Fig. 7 a. The secondary or turning ofl movement of the switch is effected when the control sleeve 55 has been revolved to the position shown in Fig. 8,?) when the secondary cam notch 63 is opposite the projection 91 on the forward or secondary engagement member 90, the rotation of shaft 21 being permitted by freeing the oscillating arm 29 and continuing until the dotted line position of the switch arm 36 shown in Fig. 7 has been assumed. 1

It is a fundamental feature of novelty of my invention that same may be used in an ordinary alarm clock, with comparatively litthe rearrangement of parts, providing an accessory which is accurate and simple in its adjustment and which may, when notin use as a time switch, be used as an ordinary clock, since the switch operates independently of the clock mechanism, it being further understood that, if desired, the governing means may be used independently of the switch for operating an alarm clock at any two separate periods of time.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a timing device of the alarm clock type a normally open switch member; switch operating means including a shaft having a drive spring mounted thereon; switch governing means; and clock means for operating said switch governing means, said governing means comprising a setting shaft provided with time indicating means, means for manually rotating said shaft in opposite directions, a forward and a rearward cam member rotatably mounted on said shaft and rigidly connected one with the other, a rearward engagement member rotatably mounted on said shaft and laterally movable relative to said cam members, means yieldably holding said rearward engagement member in engagement with said rear cam member, and means operable by the downward movement of said engagement member permitting a limited primary rotation of said switch operating shaft.

2. In combination with a timing device of the alarm clock type: a normally open switch member; switch operating means including a shaft having a drive spring mounted thereon; switch governing means; and clock means for operating said switch governing means, said governing means comprising a setting shaft provided with time indicating means, means for manually rotating said shaft in oppositedirections, a forward and a rearward cam member rotatable with respect to each other and rotatably mounted on said shaft and rigidly connected one with the other, a rearward engagement member rotatably mounted on said shaft and laterally movable relative to said cam members, means yieldably holding said rearward engagement member in engagement with said rearward cam member, and'means operable by the rearward movement of said engagement member permitting a limited primary rotation of said switch operating shaft, said setting shaft being provided with means for the angular adjustment of said rearward engagement member.

3. In combination with a timing device o the alarm clock type: a normally open switch member; switch operating means including a shaft having a drive spring mounted thereon; switch governing means; and clock means for operating said switch governing means, said governing means comprising a setting shaft provided with time indicating means, means for manually rotating said shaft in opposite directions, a forward and a rearward cam member rotatably mounted on said shaft and rigidly connected one with the other, a rearward engagement memberrotatably mounted on said shaft'and laterally movable relative to said cam members,'m'eans yieldably holding said rearward engagement member in engagement with said rearward cam member, and means operable by the rearward movement of said engagement member for permitting a limited primary rotation of said switch operating shaft, said setting shaft being provided with a forward engagement member, resilient means holding said for ard am in engagement therewith and means operable by the forward movement of said forward cam relative to said forward engagement member permitting a limited secondary rotation of said switch operating shaft.

4. In combination with a timing device of the alarm clock type: a normally open switch member; switch operating means including a shaft; means for rotating said shaft; and pawl and ratchet means permitting the r'otation of said shaft, means governing the operation of said pawl and ratchet including a tion of said shaft, means governing the operation of said pawl and ratchet including a setting shaft having a plurality of cams rotatably mounted thereon, clock means for rotating said cams and cam engaging members mounted on said shaft, said cam engaging members being angularly adjustable with respect to each other and means for yieldably holding said cams in engagement with said engagement members.

6. In combination with a timing device of the alarm clock type: a normally open switch member; switch operating means including a shaft; means for rotating said shaft; and means operable to prevent the rotation of said shaft including an oscillating arm; and control means governing the movement of said oscillating arm comprising a pair of resiliently movable fingers adapted to independently engage said arm, a setting shaft, and cam means mounted on said setting shaft for holding one of said fingers in engagement with said arm and adapted to permit the transverse movement of both of said movable fingers at predetermined intervals of time.

7. In combination with a timing device of the alarm clock type a normally open switch member; switch operating means including a shaft; means-for rotating said shaft; and means operable to prevent the rotation of said shaft including an oscillating arm; and control means governing the movement of said oscillating arm comprising a pair of setting shaft having a plurality of cams ro- ,95 pawl and ratchet means permitting the rotaresiliently movable fingers adapted to independently engage said arm, a setting shaft, cam means mounted on said setting shaft for holding one of said fingers in engagement with said arm and adapted to permit the transverse movement of both of said movable fingers at predetermined intervals of. time, and a segmental plate member rotaable by said switch operating shaft for holding one of said fingers in engagement with said oscillating arm during a predetermined period of operation.

8. In combination with a timing device of the alarm clock type: an alarm operating shaft; means for operating said shaft; gov erning means for controlling the operation of said shaft; clock means operating said governing means; said governing means including an indicator rotatable in opposite directions; means operable by the rotation I of said indicator in one direction whereby said governing means are set to control the operation of said alarm shaft at a predetermined period; and means operable by the rotation of said indicator in an opposite direction whereby said governing means are set to control the operation of said alarm shaft at a second predetermined period.

9. In combination with a timing device of the alarm clock type: an alarm operating shaft; governing means for controlling the operation of said shaft; clock means for operating said governing means; said governing means comprising a setting shaft provided with time indicating means; means for manually rotating said shaft in opposite directions; a forward cam member and a rearward cam member rotatably mounted on said shaft and rigidly connected one with the other; a rearward engagement member coaxially mounted on said shaft and laterally movable relative to sa1d cam members;

means yieldably holding said rearward engagement member in engagement with said rearward cam member; and means operable by the rearward movement of said engagement member permitting a limited primary rotation of the alarm operating shaft; said setting shaft being provided with a forward engagement member, which is angularly adjustable with respect to said rearward engagement member resilient means holding sa d forward cam member in engagement therewith; and means operable by the for ward movement of said forward cam member relative to said forward engagement member permitting a secondary rotation of said alarm operating shaft.

10. In combination with a timing device of the alarm clock type: an alarm operating shaft; a setting shaft; an indicator operable by said setting shaft; a time period indicating dial cooperating with said indicator; and alarm governing means controlled by the rotation of said setting shaft in oppo- 

